Dr. King is of course best known for his work to realize a dream where his children would be judged by their character rather than by the color of their skin. He did not live to see an African-American First Family in the White House. As we now know, Dr. King was assassinated after years of FBI surveillance and harassment. His death followed an historic speech at the Ebenezer Baptist Church on April 30, 1967 on “Why I Am Opposed To The War In Vietnam.”

There is…a very obvious and almost facile connection between the war in Vietnam and the struggle I and others have been waging in America. A few years ago there was a shining moment in that struggle. It seemed that there was a real promise of hope for the poor, both black and white, through the Poverty Program. There were experiments, hopes, and new beginnings. Then came the build-up in Vietnam. And I watched the program broken as if it was some idle political plaything of a society gone mad on war. And I knew that America would never invest the necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor so long as adventures like Vietnam continued to draw men and skills and money, like some demonic, destructive suction tube.

“Money for war, but can’t feed the poor” is a slogan still chanted in the streets of U.S. cities devastated by recession, high unemployment, police brutality, and failure to invest in public education. The victims of a Congress that allocates over 50% of its discretionary budget to military expenditures are disproportionately Black, Latino and indigenous people. A recent study of women’s net worth found the median for white women was $41,000 as compared with $100 (yup, that’s one hundred dollars) for African-Americans and $120 for Latinas. When the U.S. Conference of Mayors met this summer in Baltimore – a city with 24% of residents receiving SNAP (food stamps) – they sent a  message to Washington DC: stop funding wars and bring the money home to provide urban areas with essential services and infrastructure.

But Washington doesn’t appear to be listening. President Obama is golfing in Martha’s Vineyard, and  eighty-one members of Congress are being wined and dined in Israel by an AIPAC affiliate. A so-called “Super Committee” of twelve legislators is tasked with making budget decisions on behalf of our elected representatives, but all twelve are deep in the pockets of corporations who profit from military contracts. Indications are that Obama will rely more heavily on Wall St. financing for his re-election campaign. What happened to government of, by, and for the people?

Dr. King would no doubt be appalled to see the country he fought so hard to improve galloping toward epic failure. U.S. military “Special Forces” now operate in 70 countries, we have 800+ military bases in other countries, and we’re bombing Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Libya and occupying Iraq. We use depleted uranium weapons, and along with Israel we’re in the vanguard of using drones and other robots to kill innocent civilians.

Dr. King warned that “a nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.” His voice has now been silenced. It’s up to the rest of us to restore the voice of the people to the national helm. The common good must take priority over private profit, else spiritual death may be followed swiftly by environmental collapse, and the end of life on Earth. Time to repair the cracks in the nation’s foundation and rein in the military industrial complex now – before it’s too late.

The “compromise” approved by the House today and expected to pass the Senate tomorrow is an atrocity. It is a rich man’s coup of our democracy. Consider this: absolutely no tax increases are included in the bill. It creates a “super Congress,” with authority to slash social services when the country is still reeling from the recession. As Robert Reich noted, the President paid a ransom when there was absolutely no reason to link the increase of the debt ceiling with cutting the budget deficit.

Last week, the NY Times published, and The Atlantic promoted, a revealing graphic, reminding us how this deficit was created: with tax breaks to the rich and unfunded and unnecessary wars. Remember this when the mainstream media focuses in on the particulars of what is happening this week. Beltway leadership will not admit that it was spending decisions made during the Bush administration that led to this point.

Who will be affected the most by the budget cuts? Women, of course. Susan Feiner delineates the ways the plan balances the budget on the backs of women in the Ms. blog. If cuts in Social Security and unemployment insurance don’t piss you off, maybe the idea of cutting safety inspections will. Between those cuts and the perennial lack of funding for infrastructure modernization, you can expect more poop in your water in the coming years.

As Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus noted, the debt deal is a ‘sugar-coated Satan sandwich.’ Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, denounced the deal as a give-away to the rich and corporations on the backs of working people and warned that both parties stand at a crossroads. The House of Representatives has already sold the American people down the river, will the Senate do the same?

Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) pointed out today that the media committed malpractice in covering the debt ceiling debate. The ‘center’ has been defined far away from public sentiment and few people acknowledge the cause of the deficit or the fact that the debt ceiling can be raised without cutting vital social programs.

How did we get to this point? The National Organization for Women (NOW) thinks the lack of female leadership in the negotiations was one reason real human needs weren’t taken into account. Many men are calling for the people to march on Washington, from Keith Olbermann to Rep. John Conyers (MI-D)

Join the feminist response to the rich man’s coup. Join CODEPINK in DC as we call on Congress and the President to Bring Our War $$ Home, tax the rich, and create jobs through increased federal spending. Can’t make it to the nation’s capital? Develop a cultural response to ten years and counting of war and corporate welfare through Create, Not Hate. We are the nonviolent resistance needed to overturn this shameful usurpation of democracy. Join the PINK Team today.

On May 11, 2011, the House Armed Services Committee voted to approve the Fiscal Year 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This bill includes, among other things, an expansion of the legal basis for the so-called War on Terror. It passed the committee by a vote of 60-1. The sole dissenting vote was that of John Garamendi (D-CA).  Garamendi explained his vote:

The Armed Services Committee voted to continue the war in Afghanistan, the longest war in U.S. history. Because I wholeheartedly support our soldiers and their families, I cannot in good conscience vote to extend a war without an endgame. To continue  to risk the lives of 100,000 American troops in support of the corrupt Karzai government in Afghanistan’s internal civil war is not in the long-term national interest of the United States.

CODEPINK thanks Representative Garamendi for his vote against this ominous legislation, which reminds us of Representative Barbara Lee’s dissenting vote against the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) following 9/11. She foresaw the consequences of that dangerous legislation, and explained her vote against it:

It was a blank check to the president to attack anyone involved in the September 11 events—anywhere, in any country, without regard to our nation’s long-term foreign policy, economic and national security interests, and without time limit. In granting these overly broad powers, the Congress failed its responsibility to understand the dimensions of its declaration. I could not support such a grant of war-making authority to the president; I believe it would put more innocent lives at risk.

Many of the things Lee predicted on September 14, 2001–endless war, loss of life, abuse of power, and so on—have come to pass. If the NDAA passes, the situation could deteriorate further, in ways that those who voted for it have not adequately considered.

The title of the “FY2012 National Defense Authorization Act” doesn’t even begin to hint at how disastrous it really is. Specifically Section 1034, “Affirmation of Armed Conflict with Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and Associated Forces,” an alarming proposal that could trap us in an endless war against unspecified targets:

This section would affirm that the United States is engaged in an armed conflict with al Qaeda, the Taliban, and associated forces pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40; 50 U.S.C. 1541 note). This section would also affirm that the President’s authority pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force includes the authority to detain certain belligerents until the termination of hostilities.

This language expands the president’s war powers outlined in the AUMF that led to the so-called War on Terror. Section 1034 of the NDAA allows the United States to wage war without end wherever the president chooses, against any country or entity in the world.

CODEPINK, along with 20 other national organizations, will be participating in a Week of Action to End the Afghanistan War starting Monday. Next week is when the full House of Representatives will discuss the military spending bill as approved by the Armed Services Committee and amendments. Watch this space for more information on how to get involved in these efforts. And don’t forget to tell your representative to support HR 780, the Responsible End to the War in Afghanistan!

CODEPINK women in DC came out dressed in drones to demonstrate through theatrics how these machines kill people, protest the DC City Council subsidies to Northrup Grumman, and to spread word on our counter-actions to the AIPAC conference.

Andy Shallal. How can one post show our love and devotion to Andy? In case you haven’t made the trek to the DC area and had the pleasure of eating, reading, dancing, drinking, crying, laughing in his fabulous establishments–including the revolutionary Bus Boys & Poets– well, then, you haven’t really experienced the beauty that is DC. Andy is an Iraqi-American artist, activist and restaurateur who brought a radical flavor to the nation’s capitol as the Iraq War erupted. He has generously hosted CODEPINK events for years–his energy and spirit are an inspiration to us all!  And the catfish plate at Bus Boys will bring you right out of your I-just-spent-the-night-in-jail-for-demanding-the-US-stop-killing-Iraqi-civilians funk. We also heard from our sources that when he recently hosted an Eve Ensler event he got up on stage and announced “As an Iraqi man I never thought I’d be saying the word vagina in public! VAGINA! VAGINA!” Can you get ANY COOLER?? (The answer is no, you can’t. Sorry.)

Join CODEPINK at Andy’s famous Bus Boys & Poets restaurant on Saturday, March 20 for our Women Say No to War event on the 7th anniversary of the Iraq occupation.  RSVP here for this event featuring Eve Ensler.  Who knows, maybe you’ll get a chance to hear Andy proclaim love for Vs again!

Jim Turpin is a bold CODEPINK man for peace hailing from Austin, Texas.  Whether out in the streets in an audacious costume or behind the scenes doing the work to make actions happen, Jim is at every CODEPINK event and protest with a heart of gold (ahem, hot pink!) and energy and passion to make peace happen.  Jim’s letters to the editor have been published in the local papers and a photo of him with Austin CODEPINK at a vigil mourning the death of the 1,000th soldier in Operation Enduring Freedom appeared in last week’s CODEPINK email alert.  In the words of Austin CODEPINKster Deb, “He happens to be Heidi’s hubby but he’s a full on equal member of the group in every way.  [Jim]‘s a conflict resolution KING and just the sweetest, most lovable dude to boot.  Jim Turpin = Rockstar.”

Daniel Ellsberg is the most dangerous man in America! You can read all about Dan here (because it would take a LONG post to really explain his impact on activism, and the truth about lies and our government) and if you haven’t seen the new documentary based on his life and role as the Pentagon Papers whistle blower then you should check out the documentary site AND root for the film this Sunday during the Oscars! It is up for Best Documentary! And CODEPINK’s Jodie Evans was a producer on the film to boot! Daniel, we are in awe of your courage and we channel it each time we find ourselves about to raise our voices and our signs at a congressional hearing, before we try to slap the cuffs on another war criminal or confront power in our own lives.  We hope to see you up on stage with a statue on Sunday!

Click on the photo to see a slideshow of Pink House and DC CODEPINK action photos!

Three years ago, on March 1, 2007, we opened the doors to a brick townhouse in the northeast quadrant of DC and decided to call it home.  Little did we know in the years to come this 5-bedroom house near Capitol Hill would become a ground zero for CODEPINK activism in the halls of Congress.  It was weeks before the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq and that spring Congress was set to vote on many billion more dollars for war.

Our message was simple, “Don’t Buy Bush’s War!” and our call out to you was clear, “Come to DC!”  And come you did, by the dozens, donating food and house wares and your hearts to shine in the dim halls of Congress.  Before long, our house was stuffed with stacks of pink towels and linens, multiple coffee makers to fuel late-night brainstorming sessions, Sharpies, and swaths of fabric.  You donated couches, daily delivery of the Washington Post, and hand-made bunk beds (constructed by a lovely fella from Indiana who drove 12 hours to build them) ready to be filled with activists.  Jacob from Tennessee built us our beloved flagstone patio.

A couple weeks after the house opened, Desiree Fairooz flew in from Arlington, Texas, with a small suitcase packed for two weeks stay, and ended up staying for two and a half years, taking on the role of Pink House Mama with joy, care, creativity, and more energy and passion for peace than can ever be described in writing!

For over two years the house was almost always filled to the brim with women (and men in the Peace Room basement) who came from all corners of the country to protest war and call for real change .  Women, like Terra from VA, who had never been to DC before came to the house to witness and take part in public vigils, and some, like Barbara from NH, found themselves standing up and speaking out in hearings.  Barbara was quoted later in the Washington Post saying, “I was a little bit shy, but by the end, I tell you, I was chasing those representatives down the hall!”

Pink House residents contacted their local news and got the press to write stories about their brave acts for justice in the nation’s capital.  The house also hosted international delegations, such as Japanese and Italian women who protest US military base expansions.  Notable peacemakers like Van Jones, Ret. Col. Ann Wright, Gen Vaughn and Reverend Billy slept at the house.

We knew we were entering Washington DC lore when the front page of the Washington Post announced after the Alberto Gonzales hearing: “The Senate Judiciary Committee goes CODEPINK on Gonzales”! Going CODEPINK took on a new meaning: exposing the wrongdoings of the powerful, giving them a public dressing down, holding them accountable.

That is precisely what CODEPINK has been doing in DC all these years. We not only brought a flash of hot pink to the sea of drab gray and black Congressional suits, but we broke through the inside-the-beltway politics with a refreshing dash of people power.

CODEPINK has made headlines in papers around the world!

The buzz in the press continued when Roll Call ran a piece in May of 2007 on the house where Ann Wright remarked Pink House phenomena, “I hope [Members] are shaking in their boots.”  Ann soon became a Pink House stalwart and wrote much of her book, Dissent: Voices of Conscience, from her laptop in the third floor bedroom.  The next month, Washington Post ran a story on the house, and the San Francisco Chronicle followed suit with a piece about us “pesky peaceniks” taking to the Hill and establishing a house in the beltway.  Congesswoman Lynn Woolsey was quoted in that article saying, “If it weren’t for CodePink and groups like CodePink, we’d be a lot farther away from resolving the situation in Iraq.”

In December of 2007, Roll Call reported, “CODEPINK has never been so red hot.  The mostly women’s anti-war group has moved from a fringe protest group into the mainstream, getting noticed by the White House and others as a political force du jour.”

Click on the photo above to see a 5-minute video of the Pink House and CODEPINK in DC from the Washington Post

Since then CODEPINK actions have appeared in the photos and headlines of Roll Call regularly.  In 2008, the Washington Post released an excellent 5-minute video documenting the house and our work on the Hill with a great interview with CODEPINK cofounder Medea Benjamin.  Medea has fearlessly led groups of women through the halls of Congress day after day, and rarely misses a hearing.

CODEPINK also received widespread attention for actions outside of Congress, such as disrupting Hillary Clinton at campaign events or Shimon Perez at the annual AIPAC conference, and staging a floating blockade of Congressman Ackerman’s boat after he threatened to push for further sanctions on Iran.

But CODEPINK didn’t count on the mainstream media to tell all the stories.  We created a Pink House blog, http://codepinkdc.blogspot.com/, to document the daily actions.  Pink House residents learned how to blog and share stories with the rest of the country.  We also released dozens of YouTubes at http://www.youtube.com/dontbuybushswar, and posted volumes of hot pink photos to our Flickr site.

The CODEPINK House has been a hub for brainstorming, networking, prop-making and song-writing. After late night strategy meetings, we have woken up early to head off to Congress to attend a hearing, sit-in at an office, hang a banner in the atrium, sing anti-war songs in the cafeteria or crash press conferences.

At the end of exhausting days, we have continued the work at the house by blogging, downloading photos, editing videos for YouTube, writing alerts to our international mailing list, and hosting a weekly activist potluck.  The CODEPINK house hosted mass gatherings of women annually for Activist Training Camps, the anniversary of the war, 4th of July, Mother’s Day, and the Obama Inauguration.

From holding up “LIAR” signs behind Condoleezza Rice and waving bloody hands in her face (go Desiree!), to confronting General Petraeus, to showing off an Impeach Bush T-shirt during Valerie Plame’s testimony, holding pink signs speaking truth about the bailout behind the faces of AIG and Goldman Sachs execs and more, CODEPINK has transformed Congressional hearings from solemn gatherings attended by subdued staff aides, K Street lobbyists and a few curious tourists into truly public, participatory events.

In the summer of 2008, as the Bush era came to a close and activists around the country turned their attention to the upcoming presidential election traffic at the Pink House slowed down, and after the Inauguration, throughout Obama’s first year in office in 2009, both because of the economic downturn and the shift in politics, with voters expectant and eager for Obama to make a change, activist guests slowed to a halt.  So we opened the doors at the house to ally organizations and group delegations, and hosted youth activists for green jobs conferences, young women from the Lower East Side Girls Club in NYC, faith-based groups and others.  Then we opened up the rooms to individuals who could help us cover the expenses and left one bedroom for visiting activists to stay.

The costs of maintaining the house and paying the rent have become an overwhelming burden for CODEPINK and we must now move on from the house into the next course of action.

We have declined our annual lease renewal, given notice to our wonderful landlady, and the house will close at the end of February.  DC activists Joan and Emily will be coordinating the moving – and it will be a hefty job!  All our banners, visuals, supplies, and the giant White House knitted cozy, will be kept safe.  But the physical pieces of the house can never contain the non-tangible memories we each have, and the mark we have made on history.  You can add your personal memory or story of the Pink House to our blog comments section below.  Let us know if there is some treasure you want us to save for when you arrive for the March events.  Sign up to join CODEPINK in DC in March here.

We’d like to say thank you, from the bottom of our pink hearts, to each and every one of you who contributed to the magic that was the Pink House.  Thanks to those who donated, processed applications, greeted new arrivals in DC, stormed the Hill, and reached out to their networks to grow the CODEPINK family.  The house was a bright idea, initiated by Xan Joi and other San Francisco activists, that would have failed had it not been for a surge of people who answered the call and supported the vision of ending war, creating peace, and restoring democracy.

See a slideshow of DC CODEPINK actions and Pink House pics here.

If you would like to make a donation to CODEPINK in honor of the Pink House, click here .

Stay updated on DC actions by joining the Pink House Alumni group on Facebook, and checking our calendar regularly.

If you’re coming to DC, you can check out our housing board to find DC activists willing to host – Thanks to Lydia for managing Pink House applications and now taking on coordinating this housing board!

CODEPINK in DC will of course continue to be active in the hearings in Congress and will continue to call for and help coordinate national actions in DC, only now we’ll be reaching out to our neighbors to house those of us visiting from out-of-town and coordinating shared stays at hotels.  There are many reasons to come to DC in March, including a national training and lobby day for justice in Palestine, the ANSWER mass march on the 7th anniversary of the Iraq occupation, the AIPAC convention protests, and the Peace of the Action coalition activities.

Sign up to join CODEPINK in DC in March here.

We hope to see you in DC soon!  Medea, Emily, Gael, Joan, and the DC CODEPINK team are waiting to welcome you!